01. What is the objective of the ASL BiSL Foundation?

The foundation has 3 objectives:

• Professionalising application management and business information management and improving the communication between these two (IT-)management domains;
• Spreading of knowledge on ASL and BiSL, the 2 process models for the fields mentioned;
• Defining, implementing and maintaining the knowledge network on ASL and BiSL.

Business Information Management comprises the activities, responsibilities and organization necessary to:

• define the information that is necessary for the business processes , not just for today or tomorrow but also in three years;
• make sure that it is clear which IT products and services are needed, with which quality;
• make sure that the products and services that have been provided by IT meet the requirements;
• design and realise the non-automated parts of the information provisioning.

02. What does the foundation do?

Making sure that business processes can use IT applications more efficiently and effectively by bringing supply (IT provider) and demand (Business) closer to each other. This is done by structuring the management and maintenance processes of the existing information systems on the one hand (ASL – Application Services Library) and by defining the business information management processes on the other (BiSL – Business information Services Library).

03. How does the foundation do this?

By developing a large number of activities like:

• Publishing papers, articles and books on ASL and BiSL;
• Supporting education (at bachelor and master level and by training institutes);
• Making best practices available to the community;
• Positioning and further developing the ideas;
• Organizing seminars and evening sessions;
• Contributing to and publishing a certification standard and an assessment method that can be used to certify application management organizations;
• Presenting the ideas at (inter)national congresses and seminars;
• Linking organizations.
  

04 How does the foundation obtain funding and means for this

The foundation needs two forms of support:

1. Financial support to be able to offer continuity. Board partners and Knowledge partners therefore pay a yearly fee of €19.500 and € 5.000 respectively.
2. Knowledge, both expertise on the process models as on e.g. marketing issues. Board partners make people available to participate in the ASL or BiSL programs. Representatives of the Board partners make up the Board of Directors and the Program Board. Yearly they set up the policy and decide on the activities of the foundation. Knowledge partners only take part in working groups and provide expertise.
   

05. Why do organizations participate in the foundation?

The participating organizations, like Achmea, Fortis, departments, the police and IT-providers, wish to enlarge the knowledge present in the Pubic Domain and wish to join the (inter)national pursuit of open standards.

06. What are the advantages of standardization?

Some examples:

• Improving communication by using the same terminology and definitions (e.g. shorter training periods for new staff);
• Improving training and education;
• Improving quality of products and services (e.g. by using best practices);
• Improving quantity of deliverables (more effectively and efficiently);
• Increasing comparability (of hired staff, applicants, tenders, proposals, etc);
• Certification.

07. Who can join?

All organizations that use information systems to support their business processes or that develop, maintain or manage applications.

08. Is the foundation only active in The Netherlands?

Yes and no.

• Yes, most of the activities are carried out in the country where the models had their origin, therfore in The Netherlands. The foundation thinks it is very important to have a solid basis (experience, publications, best practices, etc.) before taking further steps across the border.
• No, gradually the interest from other countries like Spain, Italy, Germany and the USA is increasing. Therefore the foundation cooperates with several parties to spread the ideas of ASL and BiSL on international events. Books, publications and best practices have been translated into English and sometimes into German. The standard presentations on ASL, BiSL and the foundation are available in English as well.
  

09. Does the foundation have a commercial objective?

No, the foundation is a non-profit institution and any surplus arising from events is used by the foundation by increasing the number of activities.
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10. Why should my organization join the foundation?

For several reasons, like:

• Standardization is necessary when professionalizing. By supporting the foundation the objective of standardization will be reached earlier, as a result of which the advantages can be experienced sooner;
• Being member of a knowledge network, through which experts can be contacted more directly;
• Taking your own responsibility: not only by taking profit from other members but also by sharing own knowledge, expertise and other means;
• Access to the people and organizations that are related to the foundation;
• Influencing the further development of the models.